Cartridge clip and a machine for filling the clip with cartridges

ABSTRACT

A cartridge clip comprises an elongated channel-shaped body for receiving the rim ends of a group of cartridges and having side walls provided with inwardly directed flanges for engaging a groove at the rim ends of the cartridges. The body is pressure molded as a single piece of resilient material such that the rim ends of the cartridges can be introduced onto the clip in a direction transverse to the body by a snap action. A rigidifying rib extends along an outer surface of a base of the body which has a central longitudinal depression on its inner surface. Lateral stops are provided on the side walls at the ends of the channel to prevent accidental escape of the cartridges and external abutments on the side walls limit the insertion of the clip into a magazine guide. A machine for filling such a cartridge clip comprises an intermittently rotatable annular drum provided with axial sets of radial bores. An inclined plate dispensing station dispenses cartridges into the bores so that their rim ends and nose ends project respectively outwardly and inwardly from the drum, and a dispensing supply chute deposits a clip on the cartridges in each set of bores. A notched pressure roller presses the clips transversely onto the rim ends of the cartridges by a snap action and the filled clips are discharged from the drum by engagement of their nose ends with a fixed cam inside the drum.

United States Patent r1 1 Pichard et al.

[ 1 Nov. 4, 1975 CARTRIDGE CLIP AND A MACHINE FOR FILLING THE CLIP WITH CARTRIDGES [75] Inventors: Paul Pichard; Lucien Corbin, both of Le Mans, France [73] Assignee: ETAT FRANCAIS, Paris, France [22] Filed: Mar. 18, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 452,263

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Primary Examiner-Samuel Feinberg Assistant ExaminerC. T. Jordan Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Larson, Taylor and Hinds [57] ABSTRACT A cartridge clip comprises an elongated channelshaped body for receiving the rim ends of a group of cartridges and having side walls provided with inwardly directed flanges for engaging a groove at the rim ends of the cartridges. The body is pressure molded as a single piece of resilient material such that the rim ends of the cartridges can be introduced onto the clip in a direction transverse to the body by a snap action. A rigidifying rib extends along an outer surface of a base of the body which has a central longitudinal depression on its inner surface. Lateral stops are provided on the side walls at the ends of the channel to preventaccidental escape of the cartridges and exter' nal abutments on the side walls limit the insertion of the clip into a magazine guide. A machine for filling such a cartridge clip comprises an intermittently rotatable annular drum provided with axial sets of radial bores. An inclined plate dispensing station dispenses cartridges into the bores so that their rim ends and nose ends project respectively outwardly and inwardly from the drum, and a dispensing supply chute deposits a clip on the cartridges in each set of bores. A notched pressure roller presses the clips transversely onto the rim ends of the cartridges by a snap action and the filled clips are discharged from the drum by engagement of their nose ends with a fixed cam inside the drum.

9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Sheet 1 of 2 US. Patent Nov. 4, 1975 U.S. Patent Nov. 4, 1975 Sheet 2 of 2 3,916,552

CARTRIDGE CLIP AND A MACHINE FOR FILLING THE CLIP WITH CARTRIDGES This invention relates to a cartridge clip and to a machine for filling the clip with cartridges.

Cartridge clips are used for holding in a common plane a group of individual cartridges to be subsequently introduced into the magazine of an automatic or semiautomatic weapon. Such clips comprise a channel-shaped body for receiving a rim end of a cartridge and having longitudinal side walls each provided with a flange which extends substantially parallel to a base of the body and inwardly of the body.

A group of cartridges (for instance 3, 5 or cartridges) are retained in the clip by the engagement of the flanges in a groove formed at the rim end of each cartridge. The cartridges in the clip are introduced into the magazine of the weapon by exerting a thrust on one end of the group of cartridges in the longitudinal direction of the clip to slide the cartridges from the clip into the magazine. This introduction is usually performed using a guide one end of which fits on the magazine and into the other end of which the clip is inserted.

Cartridge clips enable identical groups of cartridges to be made up for easy storage and handling preceding firing and further enable a quicker filling of a magazine by a simple action amounting merely to a thrust exerted on the cartridges in the longitudinal direction of the clip. The clip is never introduced into the magazine and thus merely forms a temporary sliding support to be thrown away once it has been emptied of its cartridges.

A known cartridge clip of this kind is constructed in two parts and comprises a rigid metal channel-shaped body and a backing spring in the form ofa resilient strip arranged on the base of the body to exert a pressure on the rim ends of the cartridges so that the cartridges are gripped at their rim ends between the backing spring and the flanges of the body.

Such a known cartridge clip is filled by introducing the cartridges one after another at one end of the clip and sliding the cartridges along the clip in a movement similar to that imparted to the cartridges during their transfer from the clip to the magazine.

The known cartridge clipdescribed above has, inter alia, the disadvantage that itis made of two separate metal members, the channel-shaped body and the backing spring, which must be assembled. A construction of this kind has a relatively high cost price, and moreover the cartridge clip'has to be filled from one or other of its ends.

It is an object of the invention to provide a cheaper and improved cartridge clip which is better adapted for automatic filling using a machine adapted to introduce into the clip simultaneously all the cartridges which the clip is to contain.

The invention also aims to provide a filling machine which enables all the cartridges which a cartridge clip is to contain to introduce into the clip simultaneously.

Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a cartridge clipcomprising an elongated channel-shaped body for receiving rim ends of cartridges to be held in the clip, such body having longitudinal side walls each provided with a flange which extends substantially parallel to a base of the body and inwardly of the body for engaging in a groove provided at the rim end of each cartridge, in which clip the longtitudinal side walls of the body are resiliently separable to enable the rim ends of the cartridges to be introduced into the clip transversely of the body by a snap action.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the side Walls of the body of the clip are made of a material which is resilient enough, having regard to the thickness of such walls, to allow the transverse introduction of each cartridge into the clip by first presenting the cartridge to the clip in an inclined position to enable a portion of the rim end to be engaged beneath one of the flanges and by then forcibly tilting the cartridge towards a position at right angles to the base of the clip body, such tilting forcing the other flange to be resiliently displaced away from the one flange to allow the rim end of the cartridge to snap into position in the clip with the two flanges engaged with the groove at the rim end of the cartridge.

Advantageously, the flanges provided on the side walls of the clip body have free edges which are chamfered inwardly of the body and towards the base of the body to facilitate the introduction of a cartridge into the clip.

Preferably, the entire cartridge clip is made of a single piece of an adequately resilient identical material, means being provided to rigidify the base of the body in the longitudinal direction.

Advantageously, the clip is made from a plastics material of the poly-carbonate or polyamide kind, for instance, of polyamide 11 such as the commercially available Rilsan.

The means for rigidifying the base of the clip body may simply comprise a longitudinal rib extending over the whole length of an outer surface of the base.

To reduce the frictional forces acting on the rim ends of the cartridges when they are slid from the clip, an inner surface of the base of the clip body may have a central longitudinal depression, so that the rim end of each cartridge engages the base only over two limited zones disposed symmetrically one on each side of the depression.

At each end of the clip body there may be provided a pair of lateral stops attached to the side walls, such lateral stops acting to prevent accidental escape of the cartridges during handling preceding filling of the magazine of a weapon whilst permitting discharge of the cartridges from the clip into the magazine by a longitudinal thrust exerted on the cartridges and causing resilient separation of the stops.

According to another preferred feature of the invention, a pair of longitudinally spaced abutments are provided on an outer surface of each of the side walls of the body, such abutments serving to limit the insertion of the body into a magazine or magazine guide of a weapon whichever end is inserted therein.

Having regard to the foregoing, the cartridge clip may advantageously be made in a single moulding operation if the clip, as already indicated, is made of a plastics material such as Rilsan, which is suitable for moulding under pressure. Clearly, this procedure enables the cost of the cartridge clip to be substantially reduced in comparison with that of a conventional clip constructed from a metal body and spring.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a machine for filling car tridge clips embodying the invention, such machine comprising an annular drum mounted for intermittent rotation in a predetermined sense about its axis and provided with radial bores each for receiving a cartridge with a nose end and a rim end of the cartridge projecting respectively inside and outside the drum, the bores being arranged in radial rings disposed to define axial sets of bores each for receiving a group of cartridges for filling a cartridge clip; a first dispensing station disposed adjacent to an upper ascending zone of the drum for dispensing a group of cartridges in respective bores of each axial set when the set reaches the first dispensing station; a second dispensing'station disposed adjacent to the upper ascending zone of the drum and downstream of the first dispensing station for depositing a cartridge clip on the rim ends of the group of cartridges in each axial set of bores when the set reaches the second dispensing station; a pressure station disposed adjacent to an upper descending zone of the drum and operative to press a cartridge clip onto the rim ends of the group of cartridges in each axial set of bores as the set reaches the pressure station to introduce the rim ends of the cartridges into the clip by a snap action; and a discharge station disposed adjacent to a lower descending zone of the drum for discharging I filled cartridge clips outwardly from the drum.

Clearly, cartridge clips can be much more quickly filled by an automatic machine in this way and also more cheaply, despite the cost of the machine, than was the case with the previous method of filling known cartridge clips from one end. The increased speed of filling is mainly due to the fact that the cartridges are introduced transversely into the clip, thus enabling all the cartridges on one group, or even several groups, to be introduced simultaneously.

In order that the invention may be readily understood, embodiments thereof will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cartridge clip embodying the invention, with one end cartridge in place and the other cartridges indicated diagrammatically by their tips;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the cartridge clip illustrated in FIG. 1, with a portion of the clip sectioned;

FIG. 3 is a cross section, taken along the line III-III of FIG. 2, through the base of the cartridge clip showing in chain-dot lines the inclined position occupied by a cartridge during an initial phase of .its introduction into the cartridge clip;

FIG. 4 is a cross section, similar to FIG. 3, showing the base of the cartridge fully engaged in the cartridge clip; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate diagrammatically, in cross section and plan respectively, a machine for filling cartridge clips embodying the invention with cartridges.

The cartridge clip 1 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 is adapted to receive a group of 10 cartridges 2, and comprises a channel-shaped body having longitudinal side walls la extending upwardly from a base 1b. Inwardly directly flanges 1c are formed at the top of the side walls la and are adapted to engage in a groove 2a provided at the rim end of a case 2b of each cartridge 2. The clip 1 is made of polycarbonate of polyamide and its side walls la have transverse resilience, so that the cannel of the clip can be opened to some extent by transverse forces tending to separate the side walls.

Each flange 1c is bevelled at C inwardly and towards the base lb to facilitate the introduction of the cartridges into the clip as will be described hereinafter.

The base lb of the clip I is rigidified in the longitudinal direction by an axial rib 1d extending over the whole length of the external surface of the base 1b. Also, to help the cartridges slide in the clip, the base lb is formed with a central longitudinal depression D. Immediately above this depression the rim ends of the cartridges 2 do not contact the base of the cartridge clip, so that such rim ends only contact the base 1b over two limited longitudinal zones disposed on respective sides of the depression.

To prevent the cartridges 2 accidentally escaping from the clip, each end of the base lb of the clip has a pair of'lateral stops 1e projecting from the resilient side walls la, such stops being disposed at the ends of lateral slideways formed in the clip by the facing surfaces of the base lb and the longitudinal lugs 10. Externally, each side wall 1a of the clip 1 presents a pair of abutments 1f which serve to limit the insertion of the cartridge clip into the magazine or magazine guide, whichever end thereof is presented for introduction into the magazine or guide.

The cartridge clip 1 is made by moulding under pressure in a mould so shaped as to obtain in a single operation a one-piece cartridge clip comprising all the elements 1a to lfdescribed above.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the insertion of cartridges 2 into a cartridge clip 1. Each cartridge 2 is initially presented to the clip 1 in an inclined position, so that a portion of its rim end engages under one of the flanges 1c, and the other part of the rim end bears against the bevel C of the other flange (this initial position being shown in FIG. 3). The cartridge is then righted by a transverse tilting which causes the flanges 10 to move apart, as a result of the transverse force applied to the bevel C, to allow the rim end of the cartridge to enter the channel of the clip where it is held in position by the resilient engagement of the lugs 10 in the groove 2a of the cartridge (the position illustrated in FIG. 4).

Although the cartridges may be inserted one after another in the cartridge clip 1, it is preferable to take advantage of the way in which the cartridges are inserted in the clip 1 by filling the clip using a machine which presents the clip simultaneously all the cartridges making up the group (10 cartridges for the clip in the drawings).

A suitable filling machine is illust-rated'in FIGS. 5 and 6 and includes an annular drum 3 which rotates intermittently in the sense indicated by the arrow and has rings of radial bores 4 forming axial sets of bores each adapted to receive a groupd of cartridges (ten cartridges per group as shown in the drawings). When received in a bore 4, a cartridge has its nose and rim ends projecting respectively outside and inside the drum.3. A first dispensing station 5 for distributing groups of cartridges 2 to the sets of bores is disposed adjacent an upper ascending region of the drum 3 and comprises an inclined plate 6 to which groups of cartridges are supplied by a conveyor (not shown), the plate 6 being surmounted by a pivotable rack 7 which is urged by a spring 8 into an operative position (shown in chaindot lines in FIG. 5) in which it retains a group of cartridges on the plate 6. A peripheral abutment 9 borne by the drum 3 in advance of each set of recesses 4 causes, when it arrives at the level of the dispensing station 5, the withdrawal of the rack 7 to the position shown in solid linesin FIG. 5 so that, the drum having stopped at that moment, a group of cartridges is allowed to slide by gravity from the plate 6 into the radial recesses 4 disposed opposite the plate 6 at that moment. A second distributing station 10 for depositing cartridge clips 1 on the drum is disposed downstream from the station 5 in the same ascending upper zone of the drum. The station 10 comprises a supply chute 11 housing a stack of cartridge clips and depositing an individual cartridge clip onto each group of cartridges 2 as the group reaches the station 10. A retaining rocking bar 12 disposed at the bottom of chute l1 and articulated on a pivot 13 is controlled by a sensing roller 14 which, when raised by the projecting rim end of a cartridge, tilts the rocking lever 12 so that, after the release of the lowermost cartridge clip in the stack, the upper arm of lever 12 forms a retaining stop for the stack of remaining cartridge clips, as illustrated in FIG. 5. A pressing station 15 is disposed opposite a descending upper region of the drum 3 and comprises a pressure roller 16 formed with notches 16a to force a cartridge clip 1 previously deposited on a group of cartridges 3 at the sta tion 10 to tilt transversely (by the action of the notches 16a so as to be partially engaged in the grooves 2a of the cartridges of the group, then to rightitself (by the action of the camming surfaces 16b connecting the notches 16a) and be completely engaged by the resilient deformation of the flanges 1a in such grooves, by a transverse tilting movement ensuring a relatively correct final positioning of the group of cartridges and its cartridge clip. A guard deflector 17 extends from the end of the descending upper region and the start of the descending lower zone of the drum 3, the deflectors 17 being adapted to prevent any accidental discharge of the filled cartridge clips from the drum by centrifugal effects. A discharge station 18 is disposed immediately beyond the deflector 17 adjacent the descending lower region of the drum 3, the station 18 comprising a fixed cam 19 inside the drum which cooperates with the front ends of the cartridges in the same group to urge the filled cartridge clip into an outlet chute 20 from which the filled cartridge clips are sent for packing, for instance, in the form of a string of cartridge clips enclosed in transparent packing, so that the user can release the clips individually as he needs them.

We claim: 1. A unitary cartridge clip of deformable resilient material, comprising:

an elongated channel-shaped body for receiving rim ends of cartridges to be held in the clip, said body having a base and a pair of longitudinal side walls, the free end of each said longitudinal side wall being formed with a longitudinal flange; said flanges extending substantially parallel to the base of said body and inwardly of said body for engaging in a groove provided adjacent the rim end of each cartridge and gripping said rim;

the longitudinal side walls of said body being sufficiently resiliently flexible to constitute means for transverse spreading apart of the flanges to enable the rim ends of the cartridges to be introduced into the clip in a direction transverse to said body until the flanges snap into said groove;

and said base including means for rigidifying the base of said body in the longitudinal direction while con currently permitting said transverse spreading of the flanges.

2. A cartridge clip as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flanges have internally chamfered free edges to facilitate the introduction of a cartridge into the clip by engaging the rim end of the cartridge under one of said flanges and rocking the cartridge about an axis parallel to said clip until the other flange snaps into the cartridge groove.

3. A cartridge clip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the entire cartridge clip is made as a single piece of resilient material having longitudinal rib means extending over the length of the outer surface of said base.

4. A cartridge clip as claimed in claim 3, wherein the clip is made of a resilient material selected from the group of plastics materials consisting of polycarbonates or polyamides.

5. A cartridge clip as claimed in claim 1, made by molding under pressure.

6. A cartridge clip as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for rigidifying the base of said body comprises one longitudinal rib extending substantially over the complete length of an outer surface of the base and centrally thereof.

7. A cartridge clip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base of said body has an inner surface formed with a longitudinal central depression, whereby the rim end of each cartridge engages the base of said body only over two limited zones dispose symmetrically one on each side of the longitudinal depression.

8. A cartridge clip as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pair of lateral stops attached to the side walls at each end of said body, such lateral stops preventing accidental escape of a cartridge during handling preceding fllling a magazine of a weapon from the clip whilst permitting discharge of the cartridges from the clip by a longitudinal thrust causing resilient separation of the stops during filling of the magazine.

9. A cartridge clip as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pair of longitudinally spaced abutments on an outer surface of each of the side walls of said body, said abutments serving to limit the insertion of said body into a magazine or magazine guide of a weapon whichever end of said body is inserted therein. 

1. A unitary cartridge clip of deformable resilient material, comprising: an elongated channel-shaped body for receiving rim ends of cartridges to be held in the clip, said body having a base and a pair of longitudinal side walls, the free end of each said longitudinal side wall being formed with a longitudinal flange; said flanges extending substantially parallel to the base of said body and inwardly of said body for engaging in a groove provided adjacent the rim end of each cartridge and gripping said rim; the longitudinal side walls of said body being sufficiently resiliently flexible to constitute means for transverse spreading apart of the flanges to enable the rim ends of the cartridges to be introduced into the clip in a direction transverse to said body until the flanges snap into said groove; and said base including means for rigidifying the base of said body in the longitudinal direction while concurrently permitting said transverse spreading of the flanges.
 2. A cartridge clip as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flanges have internally chamfered free edges to facilitate the introduction of a cartridge into the clip by engaging the rim end of the cartridge under one of said flanges and rocking the cartridge about an axis parallel to said clip until the other flange snaps into the cartridge groove.
 3. A cartridge clip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the entire cartridge clip is made as a single piece of resilient material having longitudinal rib means extending over the length of the outer surface of said base.
 4. A cartridge clip as claimed in claim 3, wherein the clip is made of a resilient material selected from the group of plastics materials consisting of polycarbonates or polyamides.
 5. A cartridge clip as claimed in claim 1, made by molding under pressure.
 6. A cartridge clip as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for rigidifying the base of said body comprises one longitudinal rib extending substantially over the complete length of an outer surface of the base and centrally thereof.
 7. A cartridge clip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base of said body has an inner surface formed with a longitudinal central depression, whereby the rim end of each cartridge engages the base of said body only over two limited zones dispose symmetrically one on each side of the longitudinal depression.
 8. A cartridge clip as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pair of lateral stops attached to the side walls at each end of said body, such lateral stops preventing accidental escape of a cartridge during handling preceding filling a magazine of a weapon from the clip whilst permitting discharge of the cartridges from the clip by a longitudinal thrust causing resilient separation of the stops during filling of the magazine.
 9. A cartridge clip as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pair of longitudinally spaced abutments on an outer surface of each of the side walls of said body, said abutments serving to limit the insertion of said body into a magazine or magazine guide of a weapon whichever end of said body is inserted therein. 